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Helping a friend build a new system

A good family friend has recently retired and is looking to build a system for his home office. He used to own a nice sound system some 25 years ago but hasn't been actively pursuing the hobby. He was visiting my home a few weeks ago and I guess listening to my system must have inspired him to finally build a new one. He asked me to help set up a new system (new to him, he's willing to buy used). I asked him a bunch of questions to find out what he wants and how much he is willing to spend. His responses are summarized below:

1. Budget -- since he's retired he wants to keep the total system budget to around $7-8K (including cables)
2. Components Needed -- bookshelf speakers, integrated amp, cables. He already has a CD player which would do for now, but he might get into streaming later on. He owns a few hundred CDs.
3. Room size -- around 10x12 with 10 foot ceilings. Fully carpeted with some furniture.  
4. Music genres -- jazz, blues, vocals (he's a big fan of Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, Billy Holiday, etc.), and R&B
5. Listening preferences -- he is looking for an 'intimate' and cozy experience and wants to try tube amps with high sensitivity bookshelf speakers. He mostly listens at a moderate volume and can be sensitive to high frequencies.

He also mentioned that he has some hearing loss since he's in his early 60s and suffers from a mild case of tinnitus. I'm not sure if this plays a role in the choice of components but I thought it's worth mentioning just in case.

I will really appreciate it if you guys can provide some pointers. Please remember that he is retired so $8k is absolutely the max he can do. System synergy is important. And, please no Tekton or class D recommendations. He really wants to try some affordable tube gear as a starting point.

128x128arafiq
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,664 posts
 
So top speaker contenders at this point ...

1. Fritz Carrera BE 
2. Spendor 4/5 
3. Harbeth P3ESR or M30.1

My friend has been reading about Klipsch Heritage line and is interested in Heresy IVs. Personally, I have never been impressed with Klipsch, but then again I have never heard them in my own system. Considering his goals, i.e. an intimate and cozy experience, close to front wall, etc., do you guys think Heresy's play in the same league as the top contenders in the list?
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
To your last question: no.

Of the three, can't got wrong with any, but Fritz offers best bang for the money (aka price/performance quotient).
avitacom
90 posts
 
My VTL ST85 is probably 12+ years old as I bought it used.  So the new, integrated VTL may well have a different sound.  During the 10 years I’ve owned it I’ve gone through three or four quads of power tubes and I believe this is related to the large amount of power these amps produce.  For comparison, a Dynaco 70 produces 35 watts/ch with the same power tube complement.  I would advise your friend to learn to bias the power tubes himself and do this frequently.
avitacom
90 posts
 
I was using the VTL driving tweeters in a bi-amped system until I swapped it for a Carver 275 and I much prefer the sound of the Carver and the maintenence, relatively speaking, of the latter, is zero.
dcevans
180 posts
 
I would caution against the Klipsch Heresy in that room. Before going with Vandersteen VRL CT, I purchased the sealed Heresy III. It seemed like it should be a good match for the room with the ability to place near the wall, and controlled directivity of the tweeter to minimize room interactions. I had it on the long wall of my 11 x14 room. It is very forward sounding, leading to quick fatigue listening in the near to midfield. And sitting too close with them on the floor led to a compressed vertical dimension of images. My Heresys are now being used in a loft in a home theater setup.
Certainly he could get a used Heresy for $1000-$1500 to try it out for himself in his room, and sell off if he doesn’t. If he buys new, they require a lengthy break in of at least 200 hours. The new IV is rear ported, so it should be pulled out more than 1 foot from the wall.
I really think he would be happy with Fritz. Have not heard them myself, but highly regarded at audio shows as a well balanced speaker. Have seen a picture of some speaker stands with casters used with the Harbeth P3ESR, allowing them to be easily wheeled out 3-4 feet from the wall for nearfield listening. Sorry, but I do not recall the name of the manufacturer. They would require a subwoofer, and the footprint of that room is small so space is at a premium if he is also using as a home office. He could get by without a subwoofer with the Fritz and Spendor, with proper positioning for room gain in the bass frequencies.
My 2 cents
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